Abandon ship...

I've officially given up cat potty training. This was prompted by a couple of things. For starters, the cats just weren't cooperating consistently. They would pick and choose when to use the toilet, so I couldn't get a good read on whether or not they were having accidents because they were being obnoxious or because they couldn't figure things out. Several times I caught them getting ready to have an accident and tried to pick them up and quickly put them on the toilet and then praise them, much like you would a puppy. They were pretty uninterested in my efforts and it ultimately left me covered in cat urine. I also tried to break them of their instinct to bury by removing them from the pan after they used it and before they could dig, but cats are sneaky bastards and I just couldn't be there when they were toileting. I considered the commercially made litter pan I talked about in my last post, but since I have to be able to remove whatever is lining the toilet to use it myself, this wasn't going to work. So I'm back to scooping litter...for now.

The other reason I'm giving up at this time is that I'm experiencing a mysterious plumbing problem at my house. I did a DIY fix yesterday and so far haven't seen any more leaks, but I'm having a plumber out today to check it out just in case. I can't have the cats trying to use the toilet in the midst of a day-long plumbing session. So the litter box is back in the office and the boys seem pleased.

The weather is getting warmer and our thoughts are turning to spring at the 1543. Caddie wants to spend most of her time outdoors and the boys enjoy lounging in the sun. Check out Franklin keeping an eye on the backyard from his perch on my stairway. Caddie is a terrible guard dog, so maybe I'll have a guard cat. Two of my friends had dogs escape from their backyards this week--one for an hour and the other for 2 days! Thankfully they both returned home safely. It reminds me that our pets truly are part of our family and how devastating it would be to lose them. They provide us with companionship, laughter, distraction, and affection. They lower our blood pressure and lift our spirits. Love your babies today and keep them safe!